I won't repeat what many others have said. The Great Wall at Simatai is a truly amazing experience. My recommendation for people who have the time is to take a room at one of the hotels or guest houses INSIDE the entrance gate. This gives you the wonderful experience of being on the wall at sunrise and sunset before the... more

We did the 10km walk between Jinshanling and Simatai - awesome (in the old-fashioned sense of the word). It was, without doubt, the best experience i had in Beijing. I agree with other reviews that the best direction is Jinshanling to Simatai - if for no other reason than I think it is easier! The wall has not been restored... more

Last weekend I travelled to the Simatai section of the Great Wall. It is amazing part of the great wall, especially because ti hasn't been restored (yet). There are two walks you can do in this section: walk 12 watch towers in the Simatai section (one way and return) or walk 10km to Jinshanling. I did both, but was very... more

We walked the Great Wall from Simatai to Jinshanling in late October, 2007, and it was without question the highlight of our trip to China. As other reviewers have pointed out, the views are truly spectacular. Many parts of the wall along this section have not been restored or rebuilt in any way, which adds a wonderful authenticity to the... more

After reading the reviews on here I decided to go to Simatai rather than the more convenient but rebuilt and overcrowded Badaling section. It was the right choice... Simitai was truly stunning. It takes 2hrs 15mins to get there by car from central Beijing. The cable car was not working due to high winds so I walked all the way... more

After doing some research I decided that my one day trip to the wall would be to Samatai and I am glad i made that choice. A number of my fellow conference attendees also went to the wall but chose Badaling for the convenience factor. Others were disappointed I was not - the reason being the location. When I showed... more

We walked the Great Wall from Jinshanling to Simatai on 15th August 2007. We travelled to Jinshanling from Beijing (2 - 2 1/2 hrs) in a private taxi which we booked via the internet. We used a taxi driver called John ([--]) who spoke good English and was very accomodating. We agreed a price of 700RMB but there were 4... more

I don't think I can remember any man-made thing ever impressing me like the Great Wall. It's simply mind-boggling to see a small part of it snaking through the mountaintops, and then think about 3000 miles of wall stretching across China. The Wall at Simatai is simply wonderful. Views of the mountains and the surrounding area are breathtaking. My work... more

I have visited the Great Wall at both Simatai and Badaling, and Simatai wins hands down! The Great Wall at Badaling has been restored to the point of looking like something from Disneyland. The crowds also feel like something from Disneyland, so I felt the true power of the Great Wall was lost. The Wall at Simatai is still quite... more